70 Percent of Colleges Now Offer Daily Vegan Options

While only 28 percent of colleges offered vegan options in 2014, now a majority of students have access to cruelty-free cuisine.

According to a survey released today, 70 percent of colleges and universities nationwide now offer at least one daily vegan meal option—up from only 28 percent in 2014. Peta2, the youth division of animal-rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, surveyed 1,500 colleges and found that 19 percent now offer all-vegan dining stations—a number that has grown from just nine percent in 2016. Marta Holmberg, senior director of peta2’s Youth Outreach & Campaigns, tells VegNews that the organization’s vegan student representatives are thrilled about the speedy shift toward more plant-based options. “As vegan food has become more accepted by the mainstream,” Holmberg said, “the idea of establishing a section of the dining hall that serves no meat, eggs, or dairy products has become less controversial than it would have been just a few years ago.” This year, several prominent schools—including the University of Southern California—added all-vegan stations to its dining halls.